Heather Nicole Brickley

Heather was born April 25, 1972, in Jamestown, to Mary Stidd Brickley and Larry L. Brickley.

She is survived by her parents, both of Jamestown; as well as her brother Shawn L. Brickley of Jamestown and Pittsburgh; her sister, Erin M. Brickley of Jamestown; and her nephew, Miles R. Brickley of New York City. She is also survived by two uncles: John Stidd (Ralda Stidd) and Joseph Stidd (Connie Stidd); and an aunt, Carol Brickley Schurer; plus seven first cousins.

Heather was predeceased by her grandparents: Lewis and Elsie Brickley of Jersey Shore, Pa., and Rozell and Audrey Stidd of Huntingdon, Pa.

Heather graduated from Falconer Central High School in 1990. While a Falconer student, she was always on the honor roll and earned varsity letters in softball and tennis. Heather played trumpet in marching and concert band and took part in several theatre productions. During her senior year, she was chosen as a student intern to the Chautauqua County Legislature. She then attended Ohio Northern University, but ultimately completed her bachelors in political economy at Fredonia State University of New York.

Heather was always fearless and had a talent for persuasion, starting with a role in a play at Southwestern High School at the age of four, which her mother directed. In middle school, she pitched in a summer softball league, and was such a competitor that she played to the point of heat exhaustion on one occasion. During her college years, she convinced several friends to head to Alaska with her for summer work in the fishing industry. After long train and sea plane travels, they ended up on Kodiak Island only to find the fishermen on strike. Undeterred, Heather found summer work with a Japanese company who were collecting roe for the international market. Always looking for the next adventure and motivated by her passion for music, she drove all the way to San Francisco to attend Jerry Garcia’s funeral.

In her nearly 20 years on Hilton Head Island working in the restaurant industry, Heather continued her passion for politics, music festivals, Penn State football and copious amounts of reading. Classic Russian novels were among her favorites. Heather developed many close friends including, William Kirkwood and his family, now of Charlotte. She was “Auntie Heather” to their three daughters and often bragged about them as if they were her own. Her many friends helped her family fulfill her wish to stay in her home at her passing. Heather was always fierce and determined to do things her way and this was no exception.

Heather’s family wishes to sincerely thank all her friends who surrounded her in her last days, some traveling all the way from Michigan, as well as the wonderful staff at Hospice Care of America Inc.

Memorial services were held privately, but a stone will be placed in her memory at Mount Jewett’s Bridgeview Cemetery in her family’s multigenerational section.

Heather always had at least one rescue cat, if not two, especially her beloved Nittany. Please consider donating to your local humane society or to Hospice Care of America Inc. in Heather’s memory. Simply playing your favorite Grateful Dead song in her memory would be considered highly acceptable to Heather as well.